New Zealand · Manawatū-Whanganui

M3.6 Earthquake near Ruapehu District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-09-09 19:01:25 UTC Local time:
Magnitude
M3.6
Depth
5.0 km
Source
EMSC

Manawatū-Whanganui · Ruapehu District

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About this earthquake

On September 9, 2026 at 19:01 UTC, a magnitude M3.6 earthquake occurred near Ruapehu District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand). With a focal depth of about 5 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.3.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 5 km
Shallow
5 km
5 km — shallower than the regional average (69.4 km)
Regional average: 69.4 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Distance: 57 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 66 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 77 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 121 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 174 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand

Manawatū-Whanganui

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 104 Catalogue entries

Of 103 other entries for this area and period, 20 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · New Zealand

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Country statistics · New Zealand

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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